10 best players of 2023 named by IFFHS
Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham all made the top 10, while Cristiano Ronaldo was left out despite his brilliant form for Al-Nassr.
Highlights
Erling Haaland has been named the best player of 2023 by IFFHS after breaking records and leading Man City to a treble.
Lionel Messi finishes third on the list, behind Haaland and Kylian Mbappé.
IFFHS have revealed the top 10 players of 2023, with one superstar name being left out of the list completely. Erling Haaland of Manchester City was named the best performing player of the calendar year by the organisation that was originally tasked with awarding the World's Best Player award in 1988 before FIFA took over this role.
Haaland had an incredible 2023 as broke the record for the most goals in a single Premier League season with 36 in only 35 appearances. Man City completed a historic treble with the Norgegian goal machine leading the line in 2023 as the Citizens lifted the FA Cup, Premier League and a first-ever Champions League.
It is hard to argue the result of the 23-year-old scooping the prize, although he was beaten to the prestigious Ballon d'Or honour by Lionel Messi in November. The Argentine did make the cut on IFFHS's list, but where exactly did he finish?
IFFHS's Top 10 Players of 2023
Rank
Player
Club
1
Erling Haaland
Manchester City
2
Kylian Mbappé
PSG
3
Lionel Messi
PSG / Inter Miami
4
Jude Bellingham
Borussia Dortmund / Real Madrid
5
Rodri
Manchester City
6
Kevin De Bruyne
Manchester City
7
Harry Kane
Tottenham / Bayern Munich
8
Bernardo Silva
Manchester City
9
Vinícius Júnior
Real Madrid
10
Lautaro Martinez
Inter Milan
IFFHS's top 10 players of 2023
Lionel Messi beaten to second place by former club teammate
Messi wasn't only bettered by Haaland, but also by his former Paris Saint-Germain colleague Kylian Mbappé. The French striker has been regarded as one of the top footballers on the planet for several years now, and it is more than likely only a matter of time until he lifts the Ballon d'Or.
The sheer volume of goals the 25-year-old has scored in 2023 for club and country is enough to secure a second-place finish, with Messi completing the podium on this occasion.
Related
These stats show how tough this one is to call as Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé all hope to be named The Best FIFA Men's Player.
Two midfielders that have had sensational years on a personal front - Rodri and Jude Bellingham - make up the rest of the top five. The latter impressed in the first half of 2023, but has taken his performances to a different level completely in the first six months of his time with Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Rodri is the glue that holds Man City's team together and is arguably a more key figure to the European champions than Haaland.
Kevin De Bruyne has had numerous injury issues throughout the year, but the Belgian still makes the top 10 along with yet another City midfielder, Bernardo Silva. Harry Kane ranks quite low despite his brilliant 30-goal season for Tottenham that has been followed by a record-breaking time at Bayern Munich after his summer transfer from Tottenham.
Real Madrid's samba sensation Vinícius Júnior and Inter Milan's talisman Lautaro Martinez round off the top 10 as the duo have caught the eye on many occasions over the past 365 days. This leaves one notable exclusion from the list, and many fans will be quick to spot exactly who it is.